Former F1 driver suggests McLaren doubt over controversial decision

Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer has suggested McLaren might be questioning its decision to implement team orders at the Italian Grand Prix.

Following a slow pit stop for Lando Norris, the Briton dropped behind title rival Oscar Piastri, who had stopped one lap before.

Norris was running ahead of Piastri for the entirety of the race up to that point as he sought to close down the large championship margin held by Piastri.

McLaren instructed Piastri to give the position back to Norris, a decision the team defended as it highlighted fairness and equality between its drivers in the ongoing F1 title fight.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Palmer stated the decision will still be on McLaren's mind heading to Baku.

“It’ll weigh heavily on him [Piastri], won't it? The team will now start to think, 'did we definitely handle that right in Monza?'” Palmer said.

“You have to bang the table for everything that you can get.

“I don't know if this is going to be the one where it really comes to fruition, but at some point this year, it just has to because of the history of the F1 title battles.

“Surely something has to give.”

Jolyon Palmer addresses 'killer' instinct from McLaren pair

There have been very few flashpoints between the McLaren pair this year, with a clash in Canada being the most severe incident.

However, the matter was quickly brushed under the carpet by McLaren, aided heavily by Norris immediately accepting blame for the collision.

But as the title fight reaches its final stages, Palmer is expecting an increase in the questions the drivers will ask themselves regarding the team's approach.

“When I was driving and I was having my worst ever weekend in Baku, I was thinking ‘how is the equality in the team?’” Palmer said.

“Because you're driving the same car. You want an equal opportunity, but you're thinking, ‘Am I getting the love of the team?’

“‘Am I getting the new parts, the best strategy, the best pit stops?’ Why are Lando's pit stops routinely fractionally slower than Oscar's or very much slower in Monza?

“And you start to think, ‘why are these things not quite falling in my favour?’

“Both of them will be thinking that. Will we see one of them be a little bit more killer in Baku?

“I don't know - I think the way that McLaren is managing this is quite contrived, to be fair, but they have got two compliant drivers still, and I don't know if it's going to change yet.”